Tag: Week 7

Matt Nagy on loss to Rams: ‘You gotta be able to run the ball’

The Chicago Bears didn’t do anything to help their national reputation Monday night after an embarrassing 24-10 loss to the Rams, which wasn’t as close as the two-touchdown defeat. Quarterback Nick Foles was very Mitch Trubisky-like in his attempt …

The Chicago Bears didn’t do anything to help their national reputation Monday night after an embarrassing 24-10 loss to the Rams, which wasn’t as close as the two-touchdown defeat.

Quarterback Nick Foles was very Mitch Trubisky-like in his attempt to move the Bears offense into scoring range, completing 28-of-40 passes for 261yards and two interceptions and a quarterback rating of 66.8.

He missed open receivers on multiple occasions, especially downfield where rookie Darnell Mooney was open on more than one field-flipping opportunity.

But the bigger problem — as it’s been all season — was the running game, or the lack of one. David Montgomery finished Monday night with 14 carries for 48 yards (3.4 yards per carry) and Cordarrelle Patterson contributed one yard on three attempts.

Montgomery now has 96 carries for 353 yards and one touchdown in seven games.

Is Montgomery the problem? At this point, it’s at least worth questioning. We know the offensive line has been one of the worst units in the NFL, and Nagy isn’t doing himself any favors with his game plan.

“You gotta be able to run the ball,” Nagy said. “We’re trying to figure out ways to do it.”

The Bears, and Nagy, have been trying to solve this riddle for three seasons now. At some point, he has to look in the mirror and decide whether this team needs a new approach — and person — calling plays.

“Stating the obvious, the offense, we gotta get stuff figured out,” Nagy said. “To be outscored by your defense is unacceptable, too.”

Jersey Boyz Podcast: Episode 26 – Cowboys beat down again

The Jersey Boyz Podcast is back with Episode 26. Dave and Keith break down the embarrassing loss to the Washington Football Team.

The Dallas Cowboys lost another laughable game to the Washington Football Team and fall to 2-5 and now sit a half of a game behind the first place Philadelphia Eagles.

Time to panic? Dave and Keith think so on this week’s episode of “Jersey Boyz Podcast” Episode 26. The grit of the defense is questioned. Do the Cowboys even have to announce that they’re tanking? It’s happening by default. Which move is absolutely necessary this week?

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Report: Seahawks RB Chris Carson could miss time due to foot sprain

Seatle Seahawks running back Chris Carson could miss playing time due to a foot sprain he sustained in the team’s loss to the Cardinals.

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Seattle Seahawks running back Chris Carson left the team’s matchup against the Arizona Cardinals early on Sunday night due to a foot injury.

“Chris has got a mid-foot sprain,” coach Pete Carroll told reporters after the game. “We don’t know until we get an MRI what that means or what the extent of it is.”

The results from the MRI have now come back, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, who confirmed the diagnosis via Twitter on Monday.

“Source: #Seahawks RB Chris Carson, who left the game early, had his MRI and it showed that he did have a mid-foot sprain,” Rapoport tweeted. “He’s week-to-week, an indication he’ll miss some time.”

Carroll is scheduled to talk to the media later in the afternoon and will likely provide more information on Carson’s status then.

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Matt Ryan leads NFL in passing yards through Week 7

Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan threw for 337 yards and a touchdown in Week 7.

Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan threw for 337 yards and a touchdown in Week 7. The problem was that Ryan’s pal, Lions QB Matthew Stafford,  threw for 340 yards, with an 11-yard touchdown pass on the final play to pull off a 23-22 comeback over Atlanta.

Ryan wasn’t perfect on Sunday, but he led the team on a potentially game-winning drive on the previous possession that put Detroit behind by six with a minute left, zero timeouts remaining and the length of the field to go.

As the Falcons have shown all season, though, they need to play a near-perfect game in order to win. In the meantime, Ryan continues to rack up yardage at an impressive rate. He currently leads all quarterbacks in passing yards (2,181) through seven weeks.

Wide receiver Calvin Ridley made some Falcons team history over the weekend. With another touchdown on Sunday, Ridley now has 23 through his first three seasons, a new franchise record.

Atlanta has a short week before playing the Carolina Panthers on Thursday night in an NFC South battle.

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Check out this awesome hype video for Week 7’s Bears-Rams game

The Chicago Bears (5-1) travel to Los Angeles on Monday night to face the Rams (4-2) in an important early-season NFC showdown between two teams with playoff aspirations. The Bears’ shocking 5-1 start has its doubters because of the way they’ve won. …

The Chicago Bears (5-1) travel to Los Angeles on Monday night to face the Rams (4-2) in an important early-season NFC showdown between two teams with playoff aspirations.

The Bears’ shocking 5-1 start has its doubters because of the way they’ve won. You know the story by now: two 16-point comebacks in the first three weeks and another come-from-behind win against Tom Brady and the Buccaneers in Week 5.

Chicago’s Week 2 win against the Giants was a near-loss in the waning seconds of the game, leaving their victory over the Panthers last Sunday as their only clear-cut ‘W.’

The Bears have a chance to prove they’re for real on a national stage Monday night. They have a chance to earn respect. And that’s what makes hype videos like this one produced by ESPN even more fun to watch.

Check it out:

 

Week 7 win over Seahawks is the team’s best in last 4 years

The Arizona Cardinals defeated the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL’s game of the year on Sunday Night Football

The Arizona Cardinals (5-2) are heading into their bye week after a historic victory over their division rival Seattle Seahawks(5-1).

The win meant so much for the Cardinals, their fanbase and for their national recognition from the rest of the NFL.

In back to back weeks, the Cards showed the world they belong on primetime television. Sunday night’s victory over the Seahawks means so much to this organization for a few particular reasons:

  • The Cardinals had not beaten Russell Wilson and the Seahawks at home since his first career start in 2012.
  • Including the playoffs, Russell Wilson’s Seahawks were 59-0 when having a lead of four or more at halftime. They are now 59-1.
  • The Seahawks were also 30-0 when leading by 10+ points at the half since 2012.
  • The Cardinals are now a game back in the loss column from taking back first place in the NFC West.
  • Kyler Murray, the Cardinals’ future face of the franchise, was sensational on the biggest stage.
  • Isaiah Simmons, the No. 8 overall pick in the draft this year, made the play of the night after weeks of bashing from the national media.
  • The Cardinals played on the road six days ago. Seattle had two weeks to prepare for Sunday night.

The win was far from perfect, and the Cardinals would tell you just that. But in the end, they wanted it more than the Seahawks and executed. Vance Joseph made excellent adjustments in the second half, switching back to the attack 3-4 defense that worked so well in Dallas last week.

Man, what a night for Kyler Murray. Outside of a poor overthrow that ended up in the hands of Quandre Diggs, he was unstoppable. DeAndre Hopkins remained as advertised and the Cardinals fans finally got to see a premier game from the great Larry Fitzgerald.

Christian Kirk and Chase Edmonds really stepped up on Sunday. Kirk has five touchdown receptions on the year, which is two more than he had in all of 2019. Edmonds was electric all night and was never tackled by the first defender to reach him.

Shoutout to Kenyan Drake, and prayers to him that his injury isn’t serious. He was in visible pain on the sideline after giving his all on a 4th and 1 to keep Arizona alive. Without that play from Drake, the Cardinals lose the game. Rest up, Kenyan.

Sunday’s victory over the Seattle Seahawks is the franchise’s best win in four years. Since 2016, there has not been a win that held the same caliber of the feelings going around tonight. Try to think of a better one. You won’t.

The Cardinals will come out of their much-needed bye week against the Miami Dolphins, and will be receiving some reinforcements in Markus Golden, Maxx Williams and Jalen Thompson. (And perhaps someone else given the number of talented players in this year’s trade deadline).

Enjoy this one Cardinals fans.

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Chiefs snap counts, Week 7: Le’Veon Bell makes his debut

What can we learn from the Kansas City Chiefs’ Week 7 snap counts?

The Kansas City Chiefs notched an important win over the Denver Broncos on the road in Week 7. It extended their winning streak against Denver to 10 games. It also gave them a comfortable lead in the AFC West rankings. It was an awkward day on offense for Kansas City, but the team had great contributions on defense and special teams. Can the snaps tell us something about why that is?

Here’s how the snaps played out in Week 7:

*Snap counts via NFL Game Statistics and Information System

Observations

  • The snap split between Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Le’Veon Bell wasn’t equal in Week 7. Edwards-Helaire received 10 more snaps to Bell. I’d expect that to be closer to equal if not a little more lopsided in Week 8 against the New York Jets, who are Bell’s old team.
  • Despite a hot start to the game, Mecole Hardman played in just 22 snaps on offense. He also matched his season-low snap total on special teams with Byron Pringle emerging at kick returner.
  • Nick Keizer and Deon Yelder both had very similar snap counts and yielded similar results. I think that upgrading at TE2 would be a wise choice for the Chiefs moving forward.
  • Darrel Williams had just one offensive snap on the day. He seems to be relegated to third-string duties behind Edwards-Helaire and Bell.
  • Chad Henne, DeAndre Washington, Marcus Kemp all received 10 snaps in garbage time when the game was essentially wrapped up. Byron Pringle played WR opposite Kemp as well, but he also saw some repetitions with the starters.
  • An interesting note about substitutions on offense, the Chiefs left in every starter on the offensive line with the exception of Daniel Kilgore. I’d think they would want to get snaps for guys like Yasir Durant and Danny Isidora. Instead, they put in Austin Reiter for 10 snaps, further emphasizing his demotion.
  • Willie Gay Jr. saw the most defensive snaps he’s seen all season with 39 snaps. He had a pair of passes defended and flowed to the football very well, looking the part of a starter on defense.
  • Tershawn Wharton also saw the most defensive snaps of his young career with 47. It was surprising given the return of Khalen Saunders. He notched a key forced fumble during the game and seems to be improving steadily.
  • Armani Watts and BoPete Keyes both saw eight snaps on defense as key substitutions.
  • Antonio Hamilton, Armani Watts and Dorian O’Daniel led the way on special teams with 22 snaps a piece.

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Chiefs open as monster favorites over Jets in Week 8

The Kansas City Chiefs are back home this week in pursuit of a 7-1 record.

The Kansas City Chiefs (6-1) are favored by a landslide over the New York Jets (0-7) in Week 8.

BetMGM’s betting lines for Week 8 have dropped and they have the Chiefs favored heavily. What can you truly expect when you have the reigning Super Bowl champions going against a winless team at their home stadium?

At BetMGM, the Chiefs are currently listed as 20-point favorites over the Jets. The current money line is at -3334 for Kansas City and +1300 for New York. The over/under point total is set at 48.5 points. The Chiefs have an implied win probability of 96.15% in this matchup.

As far as betting goes, the point spread in this game is quite rare. It doesn’t quite rival the largest point spread in NFL history, which was the Broncos favored by 26.5 points over the Jaguars back in 2013. It is actually the most that Kansas City has been favored by in the Super Bowl era. This surpasses the 16-point spread they were part of back in 2018, when the Chiefs were favored to beat the Arizona Cardinals. K.C. won that game, but it was one of the few games that season where they didn’t cover the spread. Perhaps that’s a sign of how to handle your bets heading into this game.

This Chiefs team will continue to get everyone’s best shot and that includes a winless Jets team. Nothing could turn around their fortunes more than defeating the reigning champs, it might even buy Adam Gase a few extra weeks in charge. Kansas City will likely rely on a massive helping of a vengeful Le’Veon Bell in Week 8 as he faces his former team.

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Dolphins’ aggressive QB change justified by NFL Week 7 action

Dolphins’ aggressive QB change justified by NFL Week 7 action

Without playing a single snap in Week 7 of the 2020 season, the Miami Dolphins were winners on Sunday afternoon. Because the team, who is still hot on the heels of a stunning quarterback change last week that left anyone and everyone covering the league with an opinion of the move, seems to clearly think they can contend for the postseason. Otherwise, why would the Dolphins make this change now? Why would the Dolphins be in hot pursuit of RB Le’Veon Bell in free agency as well?

Miami, presumably smelling blood in the water, made the decision to move away from Ryan Fitzpatrick and install their No. 5 overall pick Tua Tagovailoa into the starting lineup as a potential catalyst for the next 10 games because the team presumably feels there’s plenty of real estate in the standings that is there for the taking.

And based off of Week 7, they’re not wrong.

Their AFC East rivals in New England? Shelled by 27 points by a team Miami had just beaten by 26 two weeks prior. The Patriots are now 2-4 and haven’t won a game since Week 3. The division leading Buffalo Bills? They had to scrap out an 8-point win over the lowly New York Jets, who may not win an entire game this season. Buffalo trailed at the half and looked out of sync against the Jets — with unforced errors by New York tilting the game to Buffalo’s favor. The Browns endured a tough loss with an injury to star WR Odell Beckham Jr. in their Week 7 win; leaving Beckham to join star RB Nick Chubb on the sidelines for the time being. The Las Vegas Raiders melted under the pressure against Tom Brady, giving up 45 points and falling to 3-3 on the season. But they’ve now given up 197 points in 6 games; 84 more than the Dolphins. Just once all season have the Raiders conceded less than 30 points in a single game.

It’s all there for the taking for the Dolphins, and former New York Jets and Buffalo Bills head coach Rex Ryan said it best about the Dolphins’ quarterback change:

“They want to be special. Brian Flores is looking at it like, ‘why not us? Why can’t we win the division?’ … Ryan Fitzpatrick, we never know what we’re going to get. And anybody who says ‘oh you’re going to get this type of play out of (Fitzpatrick)’ over a period has never played against this guy,” said Ryan on ESPN ahead of the Week 7 games.

“To me, they drafted a guy to be special. Ryan Fitzpatrick is not special. I don’t care about what the numbers say the last three weeks.”

And while Ryan Fitzpatrick has, generally speaking, played some of the best football of his career with the Dolphins, you still do get some of the frustrating inconsistencies in Fitzpatrick’s game that you wouldn’t expect from a 16-year NFL veteran. None of this diminishes what Ryan Fitzpatrick has done for the Dolphins — he’s an invaluable piece of the puzzle who should be thanked by Dolphins fans for what he did to get Miami to this point so quickly.

But as the Dolphins chase their aspirations of bigger and better than “okay” in 2020, the incubation period for Tagovailoa has, in the eyes of Brian Flores and the rest of the Dolphins organization, provided enough time to where the floor (or the ceiling) with Tagovailoa surpasses that of Fitzpatrick. And with everything out in front of the Dolphins, now is the time to make the move — and hope that their young quarterback is everything they’d hoped he’d be.

Detroit Lions players take to social media to celebrate victory over the Falcons

Compiling a list of Detroit Lions players celebrating on social media after their last-second win over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 7.

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There’s nothing quite like a last-second victory, and just like Detroit Lions fans, the players want to get in on the celebration as well.

Several Lions players took to social media outlets like Twitter and Instagram to express their emotions after their Week 7 win, and we have compiled the best of their reactions below.

Enjoy victory Monday!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CGyBsyGHr8a/

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